Leading By Example: The Art of Influential Leadership

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About This Course

Published 10/2015
English

Course Description

Real leaders inspire followers who genuinely want To follow them. Insecure leaders will generally only lead those who believe that they need to be led.

Most leaders can get people to achieve some things, but influential leaders will enable people to 'want to' achieve more things.Great leaders moves people through resonant relationships. Resonant relationships occur when the leader and the people around them are in sync or in tune.

Influential Leaders encourage affirmative action in others while creating positive environments where people have an equal opportunity to grow, learn and make personal or professional progress. Cultures like this, are only sustainable when leaders exchange a top-down leadership approach, for a person-centred approach based on integrity and trust.

Throughout 'Leading By Example: The Art of Influential Leadership' you'll learn how to:

Leverage your lifetime’s experience to engage with and inspire others.

Implement a transparent approach to leadership which is based on integrity and trust.

Some people believe that we're either born with genuine leadership skills and qualities, or we're not. Either way, this thought-provoking course will arm you with a broad range of concepts, which if you apply, will enable you to make wiser leadership decisions, build effective alliances and direct your people through the crucial seasons of economic and professional change.

Leadership is a choice. It happens when someone steps up and causes a positive change to happen. It happens when someone enrolls other people to help them make that change. In this online course, Kain Ramsay will guide you through the steps to make the choice to lead.

While many leadership courses focus on developing skills, talents and techniques, 'Leading by Example' offers you an alternative approach which focusses more on your motives, your core leadership values, and how these values will impact those who you lead.

Partnered with a Full Money Back Guarantee, you have nothing to lose, so enrol on this game-changing course today and discover what's needed to take your leadership up to a higher level.

What are the requirements?

As leaders and managers in business, government, education or nonprofit organisations, we need to expand our ability to motivate, influence, and develop individuals and groups. Enrol on this course with an open mind and a willingness to take appropriate notes.

Each month, we will post updates, course changes, and other relevant announcements.

The course is about leadership and inspiring change, its core message aims to inspire and empower women and men throughout the world to engage in purposeful career development and lead change with more conviction and confidence to improve workplaces and communities for all.

This course does not offer practical guidance for developing productivity skills or the abilities of a team.

What am I going to get from this course?

Make wise decisions that positively impact those at all levels in a group or organisation.

Recognise the importance of modelling and setting a positive leadership example through your own actions and behaviour.

Foster effective decision making and wise judgment in challenging (personal or professional) situations.

Experiment with, and strengthen your own leadership by embracing feedback from other people.

Sharpen your understanding of the characteristics and traits to look for others.

Develop your self awareness and recognise the impact you're having on those you lead.

What is the target audience?

ENTREPRENEURS: Those who need to deploy effective leadership skills in a business or professional context.

CEO'S AND MANAGERS: This course is suitable for mid- to senior-level leaders, entrepreneurs, supervisors, managers, and coaches who seek a new approach to their roles. (It will also benefit those who support leadership development in others.)

HELPING SPECIALISTS: This course can be used as a practical tool for helping professionals, such as therapists, counsellors, psychologists, teachers, and social group leaders.

HUSBANDS & WIVES: If you've been married for longer that 1 day, you'll know that there's plenty of room for strong leadership in our relationships!

STUDENTS: Including graduates and young professionals who want to develop strong leadership skills before making their mark in the world.

ASPIRING LEADERS: Those who are interested in understanding the heart of leadership before entering a leadership or managerial position.

PARENTS: It goes without saying that universal leadership principles apply!

Curriculum

Influential Leaders nurture a community of followers who genuinely want to follow them, opposed to followers who just believe that they need to be led.

Influential Leadership encourages positive action in others by creating an environment where everyone has the same opportunity to grow, learn and make personal or professional progress.

Most leaders can get people to achieve some things, but influential leaders will enable people to want to achieve more things. The prominent leader focuses on nurturing the talents of others to creating systematic and positive lasting change in some way.

While many Leadership courses concentrate on developing practical skills, talents and abilities, Ultimate Influence offers a different approach by drawing attention to your motives, your core values, and how these things will influence others as a result.

For leadership is rewarding, it is inspiring, it is about passion but it is never about credit. We don’t lead for the credit, we lead for a higher purpose and sometimes it is lonely on top, but nevertheless we must lead on.

Leaders can often spend their days surrounded by people, so the last thing they might expect is to feel alone. And yet for many CEOs, founders, and other leaders, being the person solely responsible for a company’s ultimate fate and direction, as well as the livelihood of its many employees can lead to feelings of real isolation and profound loneliness.

What determines someone’s loneliness is not the objective quantity of their relationships nor the extent to which they seem well liked or respected, but rather whether they perceive themselves to be emotionally isolated. As such, it is not a matter of how many people they have around them.

Leaders, especially those at the top and those who are called upon to make crucial and often brutal decisions that impact the lives of many people, can easily feel as though they have no real peers, because sometimes they don't!

Successful leaders know that they must get out of their comfort zone to succeed. Great leaders from history are those who have spent a considerable amount of their time outside their comfort zone.

Leaders who take risks and step into their learning zone are those that succeed. It’s only when you can give up what’s safe and familiar that you create opportunities and develop new capabilities. As you do, you expand your influence and gain the skills required to take on bigger and bigger challenges.

In this sense, leaders are self-made and not born, they are developed, not promoted. Leadership is a learned skill that naturally grows as you step outside of your comfort zone.

Leadership is not an exclusive club for those who were “born
with it.” The traits that are the raw materials of leadership can be
acquired. Link them up with desire and nothing can keep you from becoming a superior leader!

The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do.

Many people, by the way, are both. They have management jobs, but they realise that you cannot buy hearts, especially to follow them down a steep path, and so they act as leaders too.

There's an old saying about the difference between a manager and a leader: "Managers do things right. Leaders do the right things." (It's best to be both a manager and a leader – they're just different processes.)

As a leader, part of your job is to inspire the people around you to push themselves to greatness. To do this, you must show them the way by first doing it yourself.

Have you met the boss who tells everyone to stay late, and then leaves promptly at 5:00 pm to go golfing?

Have you encountered the supervisor who criticizes everyone for spending time on the Internet but is discovered buying groceries online in the middle of the afternoon?

Have you heard about the CEO who recommends layoffs to stop "unnecessary spending," but then buys herself brand-new luxury office furniture?

How many of these people do you know?

There's nothing more devastating for organisational morale than leaders who practice the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy. When this happens, you can almost see the loss of enthusiasm and goodwill among the staff. It's like watching a balloon deflate – and cynicism and disappointment usually take its place!

No matter what the situation is, double standards – witnessing people say one thing, and then doing another – always feel like betrayals. They can be very destructive. If this ever happened to you, you can probably remember that sense of disappointment and letdown.

If you're in a leadership position, then you know that you have a responsibility to your team. They look to you for guidance and strength; that's part of what being a leader is. And a big part of your responsibility is to lead them with your own actions.

So, why is it so important to lead by example; and what happens when you don't?

Consider the countless inspiring people who have changed the world through leading by example.

Think about what Gandhi accomplished through his actions: He spent most of his adult life living what he preached to others. He was committed to nonviolent resistance to protest injustice, and people followed in his footsteps.

He led them, and the rest of the Indian nation to independence – because his life proved, by example, that it was possible.

Although Gandhi's situation is very different from yours, the principle is the same. When you lead by example, you create a picture of what's possible. People can look at you and say, "Well, if he can do it, I can do it." When you lead by example, you make it easy for others to follow you.

When leaders don't 'practice what they preach', it can almost be impossible for a team to work together effectively. How can anyone trust a leader who talks about one thing, but does another?

Consider what might have happened if Gandhi had, even one time, been in a physical fight with his opposition. His important message of nonviolent protest would probably have been much harder to believe after that. His followers would have looked at him with suspicion and distrust. The chances of them getting into physical arguments or committing acts of violence probably would have increased dramatically.

And so it is with your team. If you say one thing and do another, they likely won't follow you enthusiastically. Why should they? Everything you tell them after that may meet with suspicion and doubt. They may not trust that you're doing the right thing, or that you know what you're talking about. They may no longer believe in you.

Good leaders push their people forward with excitement, inspiration, trust, and vision. If you lead a team that doesn't trust you, productivity will drop. Enthusiasm may disappear. The concept you're trying so hard to make happen may lose its appeal, all because your team doesn't trust you anymore.

If you lead, you are taking a risk.

If you want to lead, you'll need to take some risks.

If you manage, the only reason you are doing so is because someone else has already taken a risk.

“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time!” I believe you’ll never see your dreams and vision come to pass without a clear understand of where you are going, why you want to go there and how are you to get there.

Vision is essential. Every good leader knows by heart “Where there’s no vision, the people will perish.” I like to say it this way, “Where there is vision people flourish.”

To me, a vision identifies exactly where it is that you want to end up. Vision casting is simply communicating a vision so that other people will make your vision their own.

Why is this so important? Vision determines the actions of those that you lead and also the end outcomes!

The Ghana national football team had always played a creatively game, but, found themselves at the bottom of the league because they found difficulty in adhering to the simple rules of the sport.

In the context of this story, let’s say they were very present-focused.

In 2004, they brought in a tough new coach from Serbia: Ratomir Dujković. He relentlessly focused on discipline, toughness, goal-scoring and punctuality. He set high expectations for future success, telling them they could get into the semi-finals for the world cup if they worked hard.

Sure enough, in 2006, with their excellent combination of present-focused creativity and a new future-focused desire to win, they almost won the World Cup, only losing to Brazil in the final game. They did win the FIFA “Most Improved Team of the Year” award.

For future-focused people, long-range goals fuel today’s decisions and actions. This keeps them ambitiously working, saving, and planning for a better life. Self-discipline and the ability to delay gratification are crucial.

Critics and haters are merely distractions that you'll encounter on the road to fulfilling your destiny ...

One reality that all genuine leaders must face at some point in their journey is that not everyone wants you to succeed.

It doesn’t take much time to make enemies, as there are people who will develop a strong distaste for you the very first time they meet you. Why? Because you evoke a fear reaction in them.

All you have to do is say something intelligent, make an insightful observation or take some initiative. That’s all it takes to make a fearful person hate you. Being hated is just a stepping stone on the pathway to becoming a superior leader.

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather attempt to become a man of value.” - Albert Einstein

Your income is a reflection of your value in the marketplace in some way, shape or form. And although many people might not like to accept this truth, it’s some pretty good news, because it means you do have some control over it!

It also means that when you consider the niche in which you operate, you have to find ways to offer more value to others than any of your existing competitors. Just having a burning desire or years of experience, doesn’t mean that’s what other people need or want.

The best way to add more value to the marketplace or even other people, (and to grow your financial wealth in the process), is to focus on your personal growth and commit to increasing your own value.

Humility is the act of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive. It is the opposite of aggression, arrogance, pride, and vanity. And on the surface, it appears to empty its holder of all power.

But on the contrary, it grants potentially unlimited power to its owner.

Humility offers its owner complete freedom from the desire to impress, be right, or get ahead. Frustrations and losses have less impact on a humble ego, and a humble person will confidently embrace the opportunity to grow, improve, and reject society‘s labels. A humble life results in contentment, patience, forgiveness, and compassion.

Humility understands individual limitations: Humble people realise their understanding is limited and embrace it. As a result, they wisely look for answers outside of themselves.

Humility appreciates others: A humble person acknowledges the fact that the world does not revolve around him or her and accepts that their position as just a small piece in the bigger picture.

Humility respects others and their world views: Just because an opinion is different doesn’t mean it is wrong.

Humility listens more and speaks less: It spends more time trying to understand… and less time attempting to be understood.

Humility withholds judgments over intentions as much as possible: The quickest way to win an argument in your mind is to make sweeping judgments concerning the intentions of others.

Humility helps others and promotes others: Fulfilment is not found in being right and arriving at the top. Instead, it is found in helping others grow and succeed. Humility realises that in those cases, both win.

Humility always begins in the heart: As a result, it offers significant control over attitude, outlook, and actions. It has nothing to prove, but everything to offer.

Leadership is not an exclusive club for those who were “born
with it.”

The traits that are the raw materials of leadership can be
acquired. Link them up with desire and nothing can keep you from becoming a superior leader!

Leadership begins at the end of your comfort zone. Leadership starts in the learning zone. History has shown that life rewards the risk-takers, such as Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Henry Ford, Elon Musk, and many, many more. These are leaders who have dared to step out their comfort zone.

Leaders who dared to change things.

Leaders who dared to make a difference.

Leaders who dared to make an impact on the world.

These are the leaders who succeed. Great leaders are those who made it a habit to step out their comfort zone and into the uncertainty zone.

There's an idea that to be an influential leader, we must influence the opportunities that others are provided. When we use the resources that we have to create opportunities for others, “open doors” if you will, we are setting an example of what great leaders do.

They develop more leaders. Leaders are simply creators of opportunity for others: They open doors. Think, for example, about a leader whom you greatly admire.

Pick someone who has actually led you, versus someone on the world stage - and consider the following questions:

What do you admire about him or her?

Did they provide you with an opportunity where you could grow & develop yourself?

Did they give you useful feedback that caused you to see yourself in a more honest way?

Did they value your perspective, your input, and ideas?

Did this leader create an opportunity for you to create further opportunity for others?

And lastly, I leave you with this one final question to ponder over;

How much value would someone else find in receiving an opportunity that only you had the power to provide?

They are also to be reasonable, rational & emotional, confident & humble, driven and patient, strategic and tactical, competitive and cooperative, principled and flexible! Which is totally possible if you’re perfect!

The truth is, despite being the most overly overanalysed, dissected, and confused topic in business, leadership doesn’t have to be so complex. Superior leadership is about noticing, identifying, and creating opportunities for those being led.

Leaders are simply the effective creators of opportunity for others: They open doors!

The past half-century of growing prosperity and the progressive emergence of individuality have led more and more people expressing interest in self-development rather than the exclusive pursuit of material and social achievement.

Thus, usage of the terms personal growth, psychological growth and spiritual progress have become increasingly common, although there is little agreement regarding the actual meaning of these words.

As leaders, we will always be limited in our ability to inspire others to action when the primary agenda behind all of our actions is our own personal gain ... therefore, leaders who make the greatest of impacts in those they lead will always be those who lead other people towards a deeper sense of personal growth.

How do we know when we are growing psychologically? Here are some of the indications. We are growing psychologically when:

1) We are more self-reliant:We rely more on ourselves, rather than expecting other people to do things for us.

2) We are more responsible:We feel more personally responsible for the people around us or the work in which we are involved, rather than depending on others and blaming them for what goes wrong.

3) We aspire for higher achievements:We are no longer satisfied with being secure or comfortable or gaining the acceptance and recognition of those around us. We want to live for something more than mere survival or social acceptance. We want to contribute.

4) We have higher standards:We are not satisfied being as good or doing as well as other people or getting their approval. We strive for something more than mere acceptance or social approval.

5) We are more positive:We react less against other people and no longer think ourselves superior to others or feel jealous of those who achieve more than we do. We do not try to dominate others or impose our will on them. We are more generous and willing to give ourselves to other people, rather than demanding anything from them.

6) We live higher values: We respect others more, our thoughts are more objective, our words are more truthful, our acts are more honest and our relationships are more harmonious.

7) We act according to our understanding rather than our impulses:We do what we know to be right rather than what we feel like doing or find convenient. We are no longer carried away by our passions, impulses or preferences. We reflect more on our own behavior to understand ourselves better. We reflect more on other’s behavior to see their point of view and become more tolerant.

As leaders, It is important to understand that as we continue to drive ourselves forward personally and professionally, leaving people behind can be hurtful, challenging and also a common part of the process.

There have been times that I have grown so tired of reading various leadership books that I couldn’t even bare to check out the latest releases as so many of them regurgitate the same old principles in many of the same old ways.

A lesson that I have learned in recent years is that the worlds most influential leaders are men and women of great faith. Not in the religious sense of the word, but in terms of 'having' great faith for the most positive of outcomes in their endeavours.

There is an ancient proverb that suggests: 'Faith without action is just dead works' - and this is interesting, because unless a person in stepping into uncertainty, taking a risk in Faith for a better outcome, then the status quo can never change, and no genuine leading will be done.

An experimenter puts 5 monkeys in a large cage. High up at the top of the cage, well beyond the reach of the monkeys, is a bunch of bananas. Underneath the bananas is a ladder.

The monkeys immediately spot the bananas and one begins to climb the ladder. As he does, however, the experimenter sprays him with a stream of cold water. Then, he proceeds to spray each of the other monkeys.

The monkey on the ladder scrambles off. And all 5 sit for a time on the floor, wet, cold, and bewildered. Soon, though, the temptation of the bananas is too great, and another monkey begins to climb the ladder. Again, the experimenter sprays the ambitious monkey with cold water and all the other monkeys as well. When a third monkey tries to climb the ladder, the other monkeys, wanting to avoid the cold spray, pull him off the ladder and beat him.

Now one monkey is removed and a new monkey is introduced to the cage. Spotting the bananas, he naively begins to climb the ladder. The other monkeys pull him off and beat him.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The experimenter removes a second one of the original monkeys from the cage and replaces him with a new monkey. Again, the new monkey begins to climb the ladder and, again, the other monkeys pull him off and beat him – including the monkey who had never been sprayed.

By the end of the experiment, none of the original monkeys were left and yet, despite none of them ever experiencing the cold, wet, spray, they had all learned never to try and go for the bananas.

The metaphor and the lessons that apply to work are clear.

If you feel trapped in your leadership, you can reach through the bars of your current environment and come into contact with possibilities you’d have never known about otherwise by working in a more open, more connected way. Today, whatever experiment you find yourself in, you can make improvements in any area of your life that you want.

The key to being a Real Leader is the ability to influence the influencers.

You have to touch people in such a way that they can reach out and touch other people. Leadership isn’t something you learn from a book or a college course. It is developed over time. Inspiring greatness in others is a phrase often used to define leadership responsibility

This isn’t the easiest challenge you will ever face. Real leaders take the time necessary to learn from their own failures; to comprehend consequences and develop scar tissue. Scar tissue is evidence of experience.

You may or not have heard it said that 'Real Leaders are Imitated, and Imitation Leaders Imitate' ... this is very true and will always be based upon how secure a leader is in his or her own unique identity.

Global trends and changing human needs call for genuine leaders who are able to demonstrate strong personal maturity in dealing creatively with increasing
complexity, uncertainty and diversity.

Influential Leaders will choose to accelerate their own development
through personal and interpersonal development, as well as by being open to learning and
showing mutuality and vulnerability in their leadership role.

In a world where knowledge and information are growing at an explosive pace, there is no formal learning procedure that can possibly keep up. The reason? It's almost impossible to discern today what you'll need to learn tomorrow. Yet one thing is certain, you will indeed need to learn.

The way to keep up is by learning how to learn. Learn how to use the knowledge resources available to you, such as the Internet, the library, media and other people. There are plenty of ways to learn what you need to know. Take responsibility for your own learning. Determine what you need to find out, figure out how to do that, and then learn it.

One of the best ways to learn is to attempt something challenging. Almost anything you set out to do will require that you learn something new in order to get it finished. When the project is completed, not only will you have a tangible accomplishment, you also will have learned something valuable. That knowledge will stay with you.

Everything has a life cycle. Plants, animals, humans, businesses & products all have a time of birth, growth, maturity, and death.

Leadership has a life cycle. There is a time when a leader is “born,” a time when he or she grows, matures, and finally reaches legacy. A leader can also die. Leadership death is not necessarily physical death. It can come in the form of broken trust, unethical behaviour, apathy, incompetency, or abuse of authority.

A leader may be in the prime of their leadership life cycle, and come quickly to death through a series of unwise decisions. If I had you list out the leaders that come to mind whom you would say are “dead,” the list would not be short.

Each phase of the cycle requires a new set of skills, knowledge, and implementation. What worked for you as a leader when you were just starting, doesn’t necessarily work the same way when you are a mature leader. Let’s look at the leadership life cycle:

Birth: This usually happens when a leader is young in age, but can happen at any point. A mature leader recognizes leadership abilities and talent in the emerging leader and begins to call it out. He encourages them to explore this gift and develop it. Since leadership is part of who they are, they naturally gravitate toward this role and are excited to take on new challenges.

Growth: A young leader begins down the path of growth with the aid of a mature leader, mentor, or coach. Some of the growth comes from observing and learning from other leaders successes and mistakes. Some of the growth comes from being in the trenches and experiencing success and failure first hand. This is a very productive time for the leader and the focus is on achievement.

Maturity: A leader at this stage in the cycle begins to think less about achievement and more about legacy. She might seek out new leaders to pour into and mentor. She might look toward making a bigger impact that her position and role affords her. There is a focus here on continued growth as a leader but also passing on what is learned.

Legacy: What marks the legacy stage of the leadership life cycle is when the vision outlives the leader. When a leader retires, or passes, when the vision carries on in the life blood of younger leaders, legacy is born. All the high ideals, vision, and values of the leader continue past their physical presence among younger leaders. It is a true, lasting achievement that is a worthy pursuit of any leader.

Death: The non-physical death of a leader is evident by their actions and behaviours. Some typical indicators are:

Lack of accountability

Incompetency / lack of desire or effort to grow and learn

Not developing a new generation of leaders

Unethical behaviour and apathy

Dishonesty and lack of integrity

Primarily Motivated by self promotion (often at the expense of others)

Lack of respect by their team or staff for the leader’s authority

These are only some indicators. I’m sure you have had experience with other indicators of a dying or dead leader. Have you worked under a leader who was “dead” but didn’t recognize it?

Death in the leadership life cycle ends all hope of legacy (at least on a positive level). A leader finds themselves at this stage by continually making unwise choices – a small indiscretion here, a bit of dishonesty there, and so on. Slowly, the lack of teachability and accountability prevent the leader from seeing their demise.

What stage of the leadership life cycle are you in? What is your plan to go to the next level? Are there indicators from the “death” category that you recognise in your own leadership? What are you going to do to change this situation and get your leadership back on track?

How important do you think it is for you to make constant progress, and ensure that you are moving forward in business and in life?

I mean, what would be the point in going through life and never getting better at what you do?

Self Improvement is something that many people don’t take seriously. It is something that must be deliberately pursued. It’s a commitment to learning and personal growth. You could say that “you’re either ripening and rotting or greening and growing”. In other words, if you aren’t continually growing, you’re slowly dying and being left behind.

We all know that success doesn’t happen overnight…you don’t go from beginner to expert in a day. However, one particularly interesting trait that all successful people have in common is that they are committed to a life of learning. They never stop growing, they’re absolutely committed to development.

It’s a choice whether you decide to do the hard work to stay on top of your game. Sure, you can get away with being lazy, but eventually it will catch up with you. However, if you’re going to commit most of your life to a specific industry or trade, wouldn’t it be great to be the expert in your field or industry sector?

Wouldn’t it be better to be brilliant at what you do, instead of just being average? Certainly, pursuing the goal of becoming an expert will have a hugely positive impact on your career and lifestyle!

When your offensive skills overshadow your defensive skills it throws the game out of balance. Good leaders and organisations are able to balance both skills to remain strong competitors in the game.

To use the sports analogy, organisations must be able to play both offence and defence to win. Both require different skills and attitudes from you as the leader.

Offensive Leadership: It is the aspect of being able to move ahead and take initiative, and take the hill. Keep this in mind to become an offensively competent leader:

See an opportunity that is not yet, before others do. In your industry, be constantly scanning the horizon for a new idea, product or service. You are tasked to literally see the future. You must see something that is not now, but could be in time. Lots of people in your area are doing that right now. Get to that next big thing before it's the next big thing.

Think leader thoughts. Seeing the future is very difficult when you are in the midst of the daily grind, or solving issues, or dealing with a crisis. This week, calendar 3 hours for yourself in which you can do what I call "thinking leader thoughts" with no distractions. Do what only you can do from the 50,000 foot level. Think about what is not yet, that could be.

Defensive Leadership: No company or organisation is without problems. They are part of reality, and must be faced. But the defensively competent leader goes beyond this, and takes action to deal with problems. Use the following to develop your defence skills:

Anticipate speed bumps before they become major accidents. Look for problems, kinks, weaknesses and threats in your organisation.

Analyse, review, evaluate, and ask people about all the bad news. You do not want to be blindsided by a storm because you didn't pay attention to it.

You will find yourself better at one of these than the other. No one's needle is right in the middle. But spend some time and energy creating a balance. It's much better to be able to think in both directions, and be agile enough for any reality, good or bad.

Don't get caught missing an opportunity, or being surprised by a crisis!

As we continue on the journey of learning the mindset of a leader, I have found that ALL great leaders have mastered the art of self-discipline in their lives. Without it, a leader cannot be successful!

In the book. “The Way of the Leader”, author Donald G. Krause, talks about the importance of self-discipline in the life of a leader. Here are some excerpts to stimulate your thinking on this important subject and hopefully inspire you to ACTION:

SELF-DISCIPLINE:

A leader tends to live by a set of rules or principles that he determines are appropriate for him and acceptable to his constituents (followers or team). A leader does not need external motivation to ensure performance.

Self-discipline is the basic ingredient of self-control and the foundation of self-respect. If an executive lacks self-discipline, self-control, or self-respect, even if he is the person in charge he will not, in fact, be the leader.

Self-discipline means; at the most personal level, means that you do not attempt to deceive yourself. Always be careful what you think and do, but be particularly careful when you believe you are alone.

Practice self-restraint in your private life. Remember a person’s opinion of himself eventually shows in his face and is reflected in his outward behaviour. A true leader exercises self-discipline through controlling his thoughts and action even when he believes that no one else can see him.

Above all, an effective leader is dignified without being arrogant. Arrogance comes from ignorance and lack of self-confidence. When a person displays arrogance he is confirming that he knows very little about true dignity and more importantly, very little about true leadership.

Few people will admit their own failures and ever fewer will acknowledge that the true cause of failure lies within themselves. But a person who practices self-discipline and continuously develops his level of skill seldom fails in the long run.

An effective leader worries about his own shortcomings and seeks improvement from within. When a person demands excellence from others, but never corrects problems within himself, he cannot lead.

Excellence in leadership or anything else is not something remote or difficult to find. We need only practice self-discipline, and it (excellence) will begin to appear in our lives!

Growing to this new level in your leadership is about overcoming your fears, insecurities, and misconceptions about what it means to lead in a selfless manner. Here are four traits of selfless leaders and why they matter.

Selfless leaders empower their people

The emergence of a selfless leadership style begins by embracing this fundamental principle: until you empower your people they are only spectators. When they are empowered they can produce, achieve, and succeed. Unless you mature in this area as a leader you will never grow to your full potential.

Why does this matter? It matters because in any successful organization it’s empowered team members who run with the vision, fulfill its mission, and achieve its goals. Selfless leaders make it possible not by promoting themselves but by promoting others.

Selfless leaders share the credit

Billy Hornsby once observed, “It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they will reflect positively on you.” The powerful wisdom of that statement must not be lost on the reality that selfish leaders struggle in this area.

A selfish leader wants to take all of the credit- often at the expense of work others did, and boast “look at what I did.”

Why does this matter? A selfless leader will concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. It matters because each individual who had skin in the game and gave it their all deserve credit. A selfless leader will gladly say, “Look at what we did!”

Selfless leaders initiate the conversation

The mark of maturity in a leader begins to take shape when he or she invites open and honest conversation instead of dodging it. Selfish leaders seek to control the message, the agenda, and in the end stifle creativity and deprive themselves of much needed feedback. If a leader’s head is buried in the sand the view for everyone else is not that pleasant. Instead, a selfless leader engages in conversation with his or her people and makes it a priority.

Why does this matter? A selfless leader understands that open communication is the life-blood of the organization. Disconnected people create disconnected organizations. Selfless leaders build bridges and get people talking because your survival depends on it.

Selfless leaders create the culture

Leaders, whether selfish or selfless, set the tone and create the organizational atmosphere. Through your growth and maturity as a leader you’ve come to understand that people buy in to your actions and attitudes before they embrace your vision. Better to be rejected as a leader because people did not embrace your vision than because they did not embrace your selfish leadership style.

Why does this matter? Selfless leaders understand that value is created where value is given. Selfless leaders know that when they help others succeed they succeed. It matters because when this is the underlying foundation of your organisational structure it creates an atmosphere where everybody wins, not just a few.

What does trust mean to you, and do you consider yourself trustworthy?

How often we think about trust and trustworthiness may be a measure of how well they’re working for us.

Trust is a worthy moral principle that can give our society a sense of security. For me, it’s about my interpersonal life — about relationships, family, marriage, friendships, neighbors and co-workers.

Today, trust seems to be in short supply, and technology plays a part in this. Its remote and impersonal nature allows distrust to materialise and spread like a virus, infecting us with suspicion and friction and upsetting friendships, relationships and workplaces.

To be trustworthy and to exhibit trust in everything we do is not illogical or illusive, but rather a part of our true nature, one that transcends race, ethnicity, marital status, politics and spoken language.

The benefits of being trustworthy are numerous, and building trust begins within each of us. Only then can we respond to it through our relationships and actions in our own lives, with those around us, and ultimately our society.

That is why we need good leadership – to help solve problems and provide guidance, navigate unexpected circumstances, cultivate growth and overcome hardships. Leaders are not hired to monitor situations, play it safe and keep quiet when things get complicated.

“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position. Conduct a personal assessment and ask yourself, ”Would I follow me?”– Brian Tracy

Just because you’re a leader doesn’t necessarily mean people want to follow you. Anyone can take on a leadership role, but that doesn’t mean you automatically earn the trust, respect and confidence of your followers.

The good news is that almost anyone can hone the skills necessary to become a ‘follow-worthy’ leader. All it takes is a dedication to learning what makes a great leader, and the determination to practice and develop those skills every single day.

As a leader (or as an aspiring leader), one of the most common question you may ask yourself is: How do I Become a More Effective Leader?

If you’re like me, you've most likely read a lot of books, listened to podcasts, interviews and even attended a few conferences or seminars. But one of the best ways that I've found to grow as a leader ... is to ask other leaders questions & learn their strategies!

So, over the pages that follow there is a list of 20 questions which you can use to interview and ask any leader that you know whom truly inspires you (all that you have to do is qualify yourself for some of their time!)

A transition will be one of the greatest tests of your leadership, but it will also serve as one of the greatest rewards and testimonies of your future legacy.

Successfully handing off the leadership baton to the next leader is essential to give our organization the best opportunity to thrive after our time of service. A smooth handoff requires meticulous planning and forethought. Yet most leaders put off even thinking about leadership transition until they are faced with a situation where they have no choice but to make a change.

The results of not planning ahead can be devastating for both you and your beloved organization. Passing the Leadership Baton will help you manage the emotional transition yourself while fully supporting the next leader.

Creating a seamless succession can be a challenge, but done successfully, it may very well be one of the greatest rewards you'll experience as a leader.

The greatest leaders are those who lead not only with their words and ideas.

The greatest leaders are those who lead primarily by their example. The most effective form of leadership is born out of the sincere desire and proven ability to make a positive contribution.

Those who lead best are those for whom leadership itself is not the primary aim. Those who lead best are those who can inspire others to embrace the positive values and priorities by which they themselves live. True leadership comes not from position but from participation and effectiveness.

Those who are willing and able to get things done are best suited to lead. To be a leader, be a shining example. Do that which you would lead others to do, and do it spectacularly. Leadership at its best enlarges and duplicates the efforts of the leader.

Make those efforts the best they can be, and they'll result in true, effective leadership.

No good course would ever be complete without it's very own list of recommended reads .... so without further a due, here it is in this courses final video .... which actually brings us to a close ... for now!

As I mention in this video, I fully appreciate that this course doesn't cover every single aspect and element of Leadership ... however, I have done my very best to include all of the most 'important stuff.'

If there's anything that you'd like me to add to this course, please message me directly, as this will allow me to know what additional lectures to add to the course moving forwards.

But other than this, if you'd be willing to take a few minutes and write the course a review (and rate it), I'd be hugely appreciative - as this will enable future students to make a well informed decision as to whether this is the kind of course that would be of benefit to them,

Other than this, get yourself out there and start being a Leader of Ultimate Influence and let me know how you get on ;-)

Kindest regards and thanks once again for taking the time to complete this course,

Distinguished leaders will lead with a wide range of various perspectives and objectives. Those leaders will consider not only the financial impact of their decision making, but the personal, social and environmental impacts also.

This eBook highlights 10 steps that can be taken immediately for further improving the degree of balance that you have in your life.

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Instructor Biography

In the last decade, Kain Ramsay has influenced his following towards developing themselves in confidence, character, leadership and strength.

Kain has worked his unique brand of personal transformation with top business achievers, sports people, musicians, entrepreneurs and ex-military personnel by teaching how to live with greater intentionality, integrity and purpose.

He consistently astounds his audience by demonstrating how small changes in people’s thinking, can yield massive results in people's lives. He is one of the UK’s most trusted life coaches with over 25,000 people enrolled in his unique range of self improvement courses.

Beginning his career in the military, Kain spent 9 years in the British Army and served on Operational Tours in Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Kuwait and Gulf War II before terminating his service in 2004. Beyond the Military, he also developed successful careers in the finance sector, sales, marketing and in business communications.

He studied psychology and sociology in Edinburgh, before continuing in further study of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Counselling and even Theology. Today, he serves as an influential leader in the personal development industry.

A successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kain serves as Chairman of Solid Grounds, a Scottish veterans charity, which serves and guides Ex-Military personnel through the often problematic transition from military to civilian life.

Kain's commitment to creating life-changing self improvement resources, is surpassed only by his passion for family as a dedicated husband to his wife, Karen.